Keri Russell Quotes

As a mother, you feel much more vulnerable. And when you're vulnerable, you're a much better actress.

It seems to me that since I've had children, I've grown richer and deeper. They may have slowed down my writing for a while, but when I did write, I had more of a self to speak from.

I'm a better actor because I'm a mother, I think.

It gets easier as you get older because life deals its particular hand, and our experiences get deeper, richer, more profound. When I gave birth to my son, something happened. It is a huge thing for a woman: a whole set of emotions you never had before arrives, and a love you never had before in your life is now on tap.

Everybody always tells you what an awesome and unique experience being a parent is. Words can never do the feeling justice.

I'm not a super emotional person, so that's one reason I love acting - it makes me deal with myself in that kind of way.

Like any other actor, I draw on life experience.

I think as an actor you have to be open to your emotions - that's how you tap into other characters. Besides, by being so open I've come to terms with how screwed I am!

I felt like I had never really heard of a story that reflected the stuff I was going through as a mom. I came up with an idea for a story about motherhood that I would want to read.

I think having children in general is always very helpful for acting.

I think that with any emotion - fear, love, nervousness - if the actor's feeling it, then the audience feels it.

When you have kids, you see life through different eyes. You feel love more deeply and are maybe a little more compassionate. It's inevitable that that would make its way into your songwriting.

Obviously an actor draws on his own experience.

As someone who has been both a full-time mom and full-time in work force, I know we all have valuable experiences that shape who we are.

I guess every actor has certain emotions they can access easier than others.

When Finley gets his vaccinations, it kills me, and you can't protect yourself from that. My heart is being ripped out with every shot. It's a deeper level of emotion that I wasn't prepared to feel, but it's completely amazing. It has opened me up both as a person and as an actress. Everything has a deeper meaning now.

I sort of thought acting was just about arranging your face into emotions. I didn't realise it was about actually allowing yourself to feel the feelings, then letting your face follow. That was a big learning curve.

I think an actor without life experiences is empty.

I think people pick up on that. You use personal stuff and mix it all in - I definitely pull on that stuff in my acting.

My favorite thing about being a mom is just what a better person it makes you on a daily basis.

By taking elements you observe in life, you can develop qualities in your acting life that you don't ordinarily call upon in your personal life.

You instantly become less selfish. You can't be the biggest person in the world anymore-they are. [Motherhood] really grounds you.

I think that becoming a parent absolutely changes your entire life and certainly changes your work, and it has changed mine. It just allows you to have access to your emotions, even more than you already did. You're watching this little person grow in front of you, and you realize that you're seeing how precious life is and how quickly it goes. You get to things faster, even emotionally. I'm not as timid about reaching into some areas in myself and bringing that to my work.

When you go into mama-bear mode and have no choice but to just go with the flow, that's kind of when I realized...it put life into perspective. Just seeing my little girls and knowing I was going to experience life all over again - I'd be able to take them to the same things that my mom did - it was beautiful. When you become a mom, you gain this vulnerability that is so beautiful. Just the fact that I'm vulnerable but I'm never ashamed is so cool.

Black eyeliner says 'You've been through stuff, you know things'.